Well-established power distribution systems exist throughout most of the United States, and other countries, which provide power to customers via power lines. With some modification, the infrastructure of the existing power distribution systems can be used to provide data communication in addition to power delivery, thereby forming a power line communication system (PLCS). In other words, existing power lines that already have been run to many homes and offices, can be used to carry data signals to and from the homes and offices. These data signals are communicated on and off the power lines at various points in the power line communication system, such as, for example, near homes, offices, Internet service providers, and the like.
Power line communication systems often communicate with user devices in the customer premises, which typically are coupled directly or indirectly to an internal low voltage (LV) power line network. This communication involves transmitting signals along the external LV power lines, through a power meter, and along the internal LV power lines into the user device. However, the power meter, which measures the power consumed by the customer premises and is connected to the LV power lines, sometimes attenuate the data signals.
Thus, while power meters conduct the low frequency (e.g., the 50 or 60 Hz) power signals some attenuate the high frequency signals (e.g., frequencies typically used for data communication) and therefore degrade performance of the PLCS and may even prevent PLCS communications. As such, power line communication systems face the challenge of overcoming the attenuation of the data signals caused by the power meters.
Thus, there is a need for a power line communications system having an economical bypass device to enable the communication of data signals without substantial attenuation, thereby providing economical communications over the power distribution system and reliable communications. These and other advantages may be provided by various embodiments of the present invention.